Anyone up for a Use it up and Don't spend January thread?

[nocutsnobuttsnococonuts]

I've sorted out my cupboards in the kitchen and bathroom today and realised I have so much stuff I have never gotten around to using and desperately need to use up.

we are on a tight budget and I seem to keep buying without using up the store cupboard stuff. I want to get to a point where we have 2/3 tins of each item and a packet of lentils/rice etc. not the 15 tins of chopped tomatoes, 4 bags of lentils and 12 soaps (Dr botanicals thanks to the bargain thread), 8 bottles of contact lenses solution I currently have!!!

we are in a smallish house and there's stuff everywhere so storing all this is ridiculous. plus I'm a terrible cook I have no idea what to do with lentils....

who's up for joining me? share your hoards and let's use up our cupboards up together 😁

Does anybody else feel this odd sense of achievement when some item of clothing gets worn out? That you've actually used it to its maximum and got the best out of it?

I'm in. I keep bulk buying in the hope that I will take a packed lunch to work but yet to get into a rhythm. I can make sandwiches for the kids but somehow not for me.

Raided the fridge today to make a 7 veg pasta sauce... All chopped waiting to be cooked. The fridge was bursting so glad v veg is being used. Plus something healthy to give the children when it's too late to cook.

here is the link.....

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/seven-veg-tomato-sauce/

[If anyone knows how to do links so they are just a word in the sentence rather than full URL, please please tell me!!]

Oh yes please
Currently using a mini soap and glory showergel, hope to finish by end of week
Banana hair mask, 1 more use this week (shampoo too but lits left so will tuck away til i buy hair mask again later in year)
Soap and glory dry shampoo, hopeful to use in Jan
Mini toothpaste

Food, everything i have had in freezer more than 2 months, might make some weird dinners tho 😁

I totally need to do this!! I also need to sort through clothes and books and toys and basically everything because we have stuff everywhere. My main problem is what to do with it all as its not all charity shop standard

@MapMyMum if you live in an area with a local Freecycle or Facebook giveaway group that would be ideal. I've given away lots of things that would be not much good to the charity shop but people have very happily come and picked them up (eg for use in crafting, at school, old furniture for the shed, etc etc.)

Me!!!! Cleaning stuff have way too much but have been working on this for a few weeks and its more manageable...
Body creams and random hair products absolutely loads to use.
Random freezer and cupboard food need to be used.
I agree it does feel good when something gets used up!!

You may have a recycling clothes bank close by too for any clothes that can’t go to the charity shop. Our local charity shops won’t take books anymore as I discovered when we switched from books to kindles.

@2020cominatcha that's a good idea, thanks, I'll get posting!

I'm definitely up for this, having plenty of stock in my "Brexit corner" plus larder leftovers / excess purchasing for Christmas. There are definitely mysterious packages in the freezer, too, but sadly no treasure trove of pork!

If you have excess toiletries (inc sample size, hotel freebies etc) & cleaning products and want a bit of space back, your local homeless shelter & food bank will be grateful for any donations.

I’m in for this. Can barely close the freezer because there’s so much random crap in it.

I'm in!!
I have a mountain of food in the cupboards and freezer.. as well as a crazy amount of toiletries..
I'm planning a January with lots of dahls, chickpea currys and soups...... so much to use up

I'm in. I have lots of odds and ends of beauty products lying around and would love to empty the cupboard before buying any more. The Brexit stockpile is largely under control but the freezer is crammed full of all sorts of weird stuff, so January is going to be an "eat what you pull out" kind of month.

Ooh, pork. Slow roast shoulder with veg and crackling. Sausages in onion gravy, with red veg and balsamic glaze, with egg and chips, in a casserole, with mash, frog in a bog, sausage rice, pasta with sausages and broccoli...lush.

I'm in. Would love to try a no-spend Jan!

I'm in!
I did this at the beginning of the year and saved so much money.
As a result, I am a lot more aware of what and how much I'm buying but there is definitely room for improvement.
All those of you with Brexit corners, are you running them down or will you continue to add to them? I had a small stash of tins, loo rolls and washing capsules but every time the deadline gets moved, I use up the stuff and then restock my stash.

@theoldtrout01876, what did you do with the gallon of pig blood that you got for Mother's day?

I need to do this, which means I probably need to have a bath every day for a year to work thorigh the toiletries... Have newborn twins so no money/ no space / no time for shopping hopefully 😂😋

I'm so glad it's not just me! I've got a list on the fridge of all the meat in the freezer to be used up and tins are organised into rows.

fussygalore have you got a Dahl and the chickpea curry recipe please? I've got lots of lentils and chickpeas aswell as the tomatoes 😂

I would love a freezer full of pork, sadly no pork in mine, just lots of frozen peas.... sausages and pork joints get eaten quickly here!!

I'm in.

Me too! I'm about to tackle the food cupboard, I have far too much of everything!

I found this the other day, it might be useful

www.houseandhome.ie/advice/declutter-home-challenge-organised-chaos-29357?preview=1

@MapMyMum I like that list. Going to give it a try. Thanks for sharing.

Count me in too. Great idea.

I am absolutely in.

But can't understand how people have back logs of tinned tomatoes and lentils? We are always running out for them! (veggie/vegan house).

I'm aiming to work through stockpiles of beauty and body stuff. I know the capsule kit I need but every time I replenish it I end up with extra eyeshadow that I never wear, or some kind of body scrub shit that just gives me guilt.